BPM Firm Metastorm Acquires Spotlight Data

Metastorm, a provider of Business Process Management (BPM), Business Process Analysis (BPA), and Enterprise Architecture (EA) software for aligning strategy with execution, today announced that it has acquired Spotlight Data, a software company specializing in process data collection and analysis.

ebizQ received the following details:

The acquisition will allow Metastorm to offer customers a Process Discovery tool designed to enable faster and more accurate collection of data and process metrics that can be used to drive business process modeling, improvement and optimization efforts. The Metastorm Discovery™ offering, based on the Spotlight Data technology acquisition, will complement the existing Metastorm ProVision® modeling solution and the Metastorm BPM® execution suite.

Spotlight Data provides a unique software tool for collecting and analyzing process data and metrics on human-centric business activities. The software dynamically adapts to user responses and prompts the user with questions that capture relevant cause and effect insights into process activities as they unfold. Users capture data through a handheld PDA or on their PC as they engage in activities, ensuring that the data is timely and accurate. The user-driven nature of the product reduces the need for costly consulting analysis and eliminates the need to have external observers document process activities – instead process details are recorded by those who are closest to the activities and really know the details of what is taking place. This hands on approach to process discovery not only results in a more accurate view of the process, but it also involves process participants in business improvement activities early in the cycle, easing the impact of change management issues.

Re-branded as Metastorm Discovery, this tool will allow Metastorm customers to capture information about all steps in a process – including manual and off-line activities. This data can be used as input for modeling an “as is” process and analyzing potential improvements in the Metastorm ProVision software – with the goal of optimizing the process to meet specific strategic objectives, such as minimizing costs, accelerating response time, or improving productivity. The optimized process can then be deployed and automated through Metastorm BPM.

The acquisition of Spotlight Data closely follows Metastorm’s acquisitions of Process Competence in November 2007 and Proforma Corporation in August 2007. Each of these acquisitions contributes to Metastorm’s overall strategy of delivering an end-to-end platform for process improvement and helping its customers unify strategy, analysis and execution across the enterprise.

“Spotlight Data has proven to be a valuable tool for process data collection and analysis in many large organizations,” stated Ira Feinberg, CEO of Spotlight Data. “Becoming part of Metastorm will allow us to expand the tool into a complete Process Discovery solution which, combined with Metastorm ProVision, will provide a powerful means for capturing accurate models of the business, identifying areas for improvement and gaps in execution, and optimizing business processes to meet strategic objectives. This Process Discovery capability will be valuable in all phases of the process lifecycle – from initial modeling, to metric analysis for Six Sigma and Lean optimization, to identifying manual, offline activities that may still exist in previously automated processes.”

Spotlight Data has excelled in the financial services industry, with companies such as Mutual of Omaha actively using the software for data collection and analysis and companies such as Conseco just getting on board with new license agreements. Metastorm expects that its new Process Discovery offering will continue to be well-received in the financial services industry, as well as other industries where Six Sigma, Lean, and key performance indicator monitoring thrive and where optimizing the productivity of highly paid, high-value human resources is critical to corporate performance and customer satisfaction.

“We are very pleased to add Spotlight Data to the Metastorm portfolio,” stated Robert Farrell, chairman and CEO of Metastorm. “Data collection and analysis are critical to the success of business process modeling and improvement initiatives, and Spotlight Data will give us the framework needed to address the Process Discovery phase of the business process improvement lifecycle and further increase the value that Metastorm brings to its customers.“

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